Political Parties Can’t Do Without Internet!
Political parties are addressing the technology-savvy voters through their websites, but it is to be seen if hits would translate into votes?
The Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) view websites differently.
It is a medium for information for the BJP, but for the Congress it is part of campaigning where all constituencies irrespective of their size need to be tapped.
The perception that internet is elitist has also been changed. This perhaps explains why parties like the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, which are perceived to be representing the poor and uneducated, have official websites.
“A political website is both a medium of information and publicity,” says Vishvjit P Singh, who heads the computer cell of Congress. “It depends on what content you put on the website. Our site has all the publicity material, posters and speeches of party president.”
BJP’s Nalin Kohli cites the limiting nature of internet connectivity as the reason for not using website for active campaigning. According to him, the political websites are like information resource centres used either by those who are researching or just surfing the net. Besides, websites may not be a direct contact tool since it transmits information from one computer to the other.
BJP claims to be the first political party
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